Walker students involved in fatal charter bus crash

Officials load the vehicle involved in a fatal accident with a charter bus carrying students from Walker Elementary onto a wrecker.

GIL OSTERLOH/ Special to the Daily News

By KATIE TAMMEN / Daily News

Published: Thursday, May 2, 2013 at 12:07 PM.

NEW ORLEANS - A charter bus taking fifth-graders and chaperones from Crestview’s Walker Elementary School to New Orleans for a field trip was involved in a fatal accident Thursday morning on Interstate 10.

No students were hurt but a woman driving a Honda sedan was killed, according to New Orleans police.

The bus driver, two adults onboard and a firefighter who responded to the scene suffered minor injuries, according to reports.

The crash occurred just after 10 a.m. on westbound I-10 near the Michoud Boulevard exit, according to Remi Braden, the director of public affairs for the New Orleans Police Department.

Early reports indicated the woman was driving east on rain-soaked I-10 when she lost control of the Honda and crossed the median into the path of three charter buses owned by Kingdom Coach Co. that were carrying students, teachers and parents from Walker Elementary.

The woman’s name had not been released as of Thursday night.

Bus driver Linda Baker, of Summerdale, Ala., and at least one parent were taken to a local hospital as a precaution, Kaye McKinley, the deputy superintendent of Okaloosa County schools, said early Thursday afternoon. The Associated Press later reported a third adult on the bus and a firefighter responding to the crash also suffered minor injuries.

Walker teacher Renee Rogers was riding on the lead bus and saw the Honda cross into the westbound lanes. The second bus barely missed hitting the car and the driver of the third bus stop couldn’t stop in time despite her best efforts.

“She saved the situation,” Rogers said of the driver. “She did not lose control.”

When the bus stopped in a marshy area along I-10, chaperones and witnesses rushed to help the people onboard.

“It was amazing,” Rogers said.

Men worked to get the children off the bus through a back window, she said. They even carried the students through the water so they wouldn’t get wet, she added.

A woman on the scene gave towels to the children to keep warm. She said she also was a teacher and had the towels in her car because she was in the process of moving.

McKinley said a fourth bus was dispatched to pick up those who were riding the bus that was hit.

School officials decided to continue the field trip to give students a sense of normalcy, she said. The group was planning to visit the Audubon Zoo, the Mardi Gras float factory and the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas.

“Kids are pretty resilient, and we really encouraged them to go on with the trip,” McKinley said. “There’s a lot of adults with them, a lot of parents.”

About 103 students were on the trip with six teachers and 37 parents, she said.

Okaloosa County School Board policy requires one adult for every 10 children on a field trip. In this case, it was closer to one adult for every two children.

Walker Principal Jeanine Kirkland drove to the hotel where students were staying to offer support, McKinley said.

Counseling will be provided to anyone who requests it when they return home, she added.

Rogers said most of the children didn’t see the crash because it happened so quickly. As of Thursday afternoon, they weren’t having too much trouble focusing on the activities on the trip they’d raised money for.

NEW ORLEANS - A charter bus taking fifth-graders and chaperones from Crestview’s Walker Elementary School to New Orleans for a field trip was involved in a fatal accident Thursday morning on Interstate 10.

No students were hurt but a woman driving a Honda sedan was killed, according to New Orleans police.

The bus driver, two adults onboard and a firefighter who responded to the scene suffered minor injuries, according to reports.

The crash occurred just after 10 a.m. on westbound I-10 near the Michoud Boulevard exit, according to Remi Braden, the director of public affairs for the New Orleans Police Department.

Early reports indicated the woman was driving east on rain-soaked I-10 when she lost control of the Honda and crossed the median into the path of three charter buses owned by Kingdom Coach Co. that were carrying students, teachers and parents from Walker Elementary.

The woman’s name had not been released as of Thursday night.

Bus driver Linda Baker, of Summerdale, Ala., and at least one parent were taken to a local hospital as a precaution, Kaye McKinley, the deputy superintendent of Okaloosa County schools, said early Thursday afternoon. The Associated Press later reported a third adult on the bus and a firefighter responding to the crash also suffered minor injuries.

Walker teacher Renee Rogers was riding on the lead bus and saw the Honda cross into the westbound lanes. The second bus barely missed hitting the car and the driver of the third bus stop couldn’t stop in time despite her best efforts.

“She saved the situation,” Rogers said of the driver. “She did not lose control.”

When the bus stopped in a marshy area along I-10, chaperones and witnesses rushed to help the people onboard.

“It was amazing,” Rogers said.

Men worked to get the children off the bus through a back window, she said. They even carried the students through the water so they wouldn’t get wet, she added.

A woman on the scene gave towels to the children to keep warm. She said she also was a teacher and had the towels in her car because she was in the process of moving.

McKinley said a fourth bus was dispatched to pick up those who were riding the bus that was hit.

School officials decided to continue the field trip to give students a sense of normalcy, she said. The group was planning to visit the Audubon Zoo, the Mardi Gras float factory and the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas.

“Kids are pretty resilient, and we really encouraged them to go on with the trip,” McKinley said. “There’s a lot of adults with them, a lot of parents.”

About 103 students were on the trip with six teachers and 37 parents, she said.

Okaloosa County School Board policy requires one adult for every 10 children on a field trip. In this case, it was closer to one adult for every two children.

Walker Principal Jeanine Kirkland drove to the hotel where students were staying to offer support, McKinley said.

Counseling will be provided to anyone who requests it when they return home, she added.

Rogers said most of the children didn’t see the crash because it happened so quickly. As of Thursday afternoon, they weren’t having too much trouble focusing on the activities on the trip they’d raised money for.